Rotary valve



Jul 17, 1928. 1,677,499

7 w. J. SMITH ROTARY VALVE Filed Nov. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 17,1928. I v 1,677,499

W. J. SMITH ROTARY VALVE Filed Nov. 19, 1927 2 Sheets Sheet 2 .5 16 X l|||l l 4 v Jnz'eniar:

W 5 I 4 W Patented July 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY VALVE;

Application filed November 19,1927. Serial No. 234,839.

This invention relates to rotary valves, and it relates particularly tothat class of these valves which are adapted for use in controlling andgoverning a fluid, constantly supplied under a uniform pressure, inactuating, for instance, the reciprocatory movement of the piston of acylinder.

The object of the invention is to provide a valve of the kind describedwhich shall be simple and cheap in construction, capable of easy andrapid operation, and by which the quantity of fluid allowed to passthrough it may be varied from the full capacity of the valve to thesmallest portion thereof. A further object of the invention is toprovide a valve of the kind described which shall be so constructed asto be capable of receiving the fluid after being-utilized anddischargeit from the valve from which it may be conveyed, if desired, to a placeof storage for future use.

Having the above mentioned objects in view, the invention consists of avalvehaving the novel features of construction and arrangement of partssubstantially as hereinafter. described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a, front view of a valve, showing a handle for operating it,a pointer extending from the handle, and a scale indicating the positionof the valve when the pointer is in line with the markings of the scale.Figure 2 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the valveand its, operating handle.

Figure 3 is a transverse central vertical sectional view of the valve,the parts being in position to allow the entire amount of fluid admittedto the valve to pass out through one of the discharge ports thereof,

and to receive a corresponding amount of fluid through the otherdischarge port.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, the parts of the valve being inposition entirely to shut off connection between the inlet port of thevalve and the outlet ports thereof, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, the parts of the valve beingshown in positions to allow discharge of the fluid from the port whichis shown in Figure 3 in positionto receive the used fluid, and to allowentrance through the port shown in discharging position in Figure 3 ofthe used fluid.

The valve consists of a casing 1 having a cylindrical chamber 2 therein,and the valve proper located in the casing. The casing has extendingthrough its walls and communicating wit-l1 the chamber, the inlet port3, the ports 4 and 5, which in the operation of the valve serve both asdischarge and inlet ports, and the return port 6.

The valve proper 7 consists of a cylindrical body closely fitting androtatable in the chamber 2, and having a stem 8 to which is pinned ahandle 9 formed with a pointer or finger 10. The valve has in one sidethereof an elongated channel 11 which, when the parts are assembled, isin position to be caused to register with the inlet port 3 and the ports4 and 5. The length of the chamber is such that when the valve isproperly positioned it may form a passage for conducting all the fluidreceived through the inlet port 3 to either the port 4 or the port 5through which it is discharged.

Centrally located and extending longitudinally partly through the valve7 is a passage 12, the outer end of which extends to the rear face ofthe valve andis in communication with the return port 6. A conduit 13extends from the periphery of the valve and at its inner endcommunicates with the passage 12. The conduit 13 is so located withrespect to the channel 11 of the valve that when the chamber is inposition to conduct fluid from the inlet port 3 to the port 4 theconduit will register with the port 5, and that when the inlet port isin communication with the port 5 the conduit will register with the port4. v

The valve is intended particularly for use in governing the flow of aliquid, for instance, oil, which is received at the inlet port underpressurefrom a pump or the like, and

alternately introduced into and discharged from the ends of a cylinderfor reciprocating the piston of the latter, the oil, after beingdischarged from the cylinder, being returned to a tank from which thepump is supplied. To this end, when in the use of the valve the parts ofthevalve are in the positions shown in Figure 3, oil received throughthe inlet port 3 will be conducted to and discharged from the port 4from which it may pass to one end of a cylinder for actuating itspiston. When the parts are positioned as described the port 5, which may1 be connected to the end of a cylinder opposite to that to which theport 5 is connected,

is through the conduit 13 and the passage 12 connected with the returnport 6 whichvmay be connected with a tank for receiving oil. When thevalve is in the position shown in Figure 6 the oil will pass fromtheinlet port 3 to and through the port 5 and, for instance, to the end ofa cylinder opposite to that to which the port 4 is connected, and theport 4 will be in communication with the return port 6. Thus the valvemay be 01perated to direct oil under pressure to t e ends of a cylinderand to receive it from such ends alternately through ports 4 and 5, andthe oil alternately forced from the cylinder inlay be directed by thevalve to a tank or the In order that the quantity of a fluid receivedthrough the inlet port 3 and directed to one or the other of thedischarge ports 4 and 5 may be governed, and also the quantity of fluidpermitted to pass through the ports 4 and 5 to the return portcorrespondingly determined, the periphery of the valve is provided withtwo tapering grooves 14 and 15 communicating respectively with thechannel 11 and with the conduit 13. The larger end of the groove 14communicates with one end of the chamber 11 and terminates a shortdistance from the conduit 13 and the larger end of the groove 15communicates with the conduit 13 and terminates a short distance fromthe end of the channel 11, opposite to that with which the groove 14 isconnected. By the positioningof the valve formed as described fluidreceived at the inlet port 3 of the valve may be caused to flow toeither of the discharge ports 4 or 5 in quantities corresponding to thefull capacity of the channel 11, or by bringing any selected portion ofthe groove 14 into communication with the inlet port 3 and with one ofthe other of the ports 4 or 5 the quantity of fluid may be reduced toany desired extent, and finally the flow from the inlet port 3 to eitherthe port 4 or 5 may entirely be cut off by bringing the valve to theposition shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

The grooves 14 and 15 are so disposed in relation to each other that thequantity of fluid returned after use which is permltted to enter eitherthe port 4 or the port 5 corresponds to that which is being dischargedfor use through the other of these ports. Therefore, should the valve beused, for instance, in actuating the piston of a cylinder, byalternately introducing and discharging a fluid into and from therespective ends of the cylinder, themovement of the piston is renderedsmooth and uniform throughout, because of the facts that the .fluidpreviously introduced into one end of the cylinder acts as a cushion forthe piston when the impelling fluid is lntroduced into the other end,and that such previously introduced fluid is allowed by the valve to bedisplaced only in a quantity corresponding to that being introduced toactuate the piston.

The Valve is intended for use in governing a fluid introduced into itunder high pressure. As the fluid enters the inlet port of the valve it,impinges against the valve proper 7, generally upon the whole or a partof the surface of the channel 11. To prevent binding of the valve by thepressure of the fluid to an extent to prevent its free rotation achamber 16, shown by dotted lines in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings,is formed in the periphery of the valve opposite the channel 11. Thechamber 16 is in communication with the conduit 13, and, therefore, thefluid, after being used and forced through one of the ports 4 or 5, is

distributed in the chamber 16 and forms a cushion of fluid underpressure to balance the initial pressure of the fluid imposed upon thevalve.

. I claim:

1. A valve comprising a casing providedwith an inlet port and withdischarge ports, and a rotary valve provided with an inlet passage andwith a return conduit, and with tapering grooves communicatingrespectively with the inlet passage and with the return conduit.

2. A valve comprising a casing provided with an inlet port and withdischarge ports, and a rotary Valve provided with an inlet passage andwith a return conduit arranged opposite the inlet passage, and withtapering groove-s communicating respectively with the inlet passage andwith the return con- 7 duit.

3. A valve comprising a casing provided with an inlet port and withdischarge ports, and a rotary valve provided with an inlet passage andwith a return conduit, and with two tapering grooves, the larger end ofone groove communicating with the inlet passage, and the larger end ofthe other groove communicating with the return conduit.

4. A valve comprising a casing provided with an inlet port, withdischarge ports, and

with a return port, and a rotary valve pro-

